Is Dog Spaying Cruel?

Dog spaying is a painless procedure that can alleviate a lot of behavioral and health problems.

But while the procedure is pretty common, there are still a lot of misconceptions about its effects on dog's life.

What is spaying? How safe is it? When should it be performed?

These are some of the questions you may be asking.

I will try to provide you with unbiased information so that you can decide for yourself if your dog can benefit from having it.

What Is Spaying?

To spay a dog, a veterinarian will surgically remove her ovaries and uterus. The procedure is very routine and painless for your dog. Normally, it's performed before your dog's first estrus, at about six months of age. In recent years, it became more common to perform it on puppies as young as eight weeks of age.

There is a big misconception that after you spay your dog, she will become fat and lazy. While some dogs may be more lazy than others by nature, do not attribute it to the procedure itself. Out of the five dogs that I owned, two were neutered (read more about dog neutering), one was spayed and the remaining two were unaltered.

None of my dogs were lazy and, because of the healthy and moderate diet and plenty of exercise, they were not fat.

Factoid...

Did you know that in a lot of municipalities, it costs less to license spayed dogs?

Health Implications of Dog Spaying

Spayed dogs tend to live longer and healthier lives. If you spay your puppy before she turns six months old, you eliminate the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer. You also greatly reduce the possibility of mammary cancer.

Obviously, after it's performed, you can't go back and your dog will never be able to give birth. Her genitalia will most likely be smaller than it would have been if she was not spayed. Other than these observations, I can't think of any other negative consequences of spaying.

Let's review other benefits that spaying can offer…

Will Dog Spaying Change Pet's Behavior?

Spayed dogs are less aggressive, more affectionate towards people and get along better with other pets. They are also less likely to bite or run away. Dog spaying will make your dog more focused and easier to train.

When people say that spaying will make a dog lazy, I think they often confuse laziness with a lack of aggression.

When you are in a public place, you don't need to worry about stray dogs chasing your pet when she is in heat. A spayed dog is also less likely to be irritable because she won't be experiencing heat cycles.

So, if anything, dog spaying will have positive effect on your dog's personality and behavior.

Is Dog Spaying For Every Puppy?

It may appear from my comments that I am biased in favor of dog spaying. In reality, I am not pro or against it. It's just that spaying offers a lot of real benefits to you, the dog owner. But, of course, the final decision is all yours.

To be fair, there are a lot of unaltered dogs who are happy, healthy and do not present any problems to their owners. Out of five dogs that I owned, two were not altered. The unaltered dogs did not give me any major problems that would have put me in the "pro" or "against" camp. But your situation may be different from mine.

And if all dogs were spayed, well… there would be no dogs! So, don't rush with your decision, weigh all the positives and negatives of dog spaying, talk to your veterinarian and other dog owners. And no matter what you decide, I guarantee you that if you take a good care of your puppy, she will always love and adore you.

Want to learn more?

As a dog owner, you are responsible for your puppy's health. A good source for dog health information, including puppy care and preventive medicine, how to protect your pet from worms and ticks, dog food, and how to recognize if your pet needs immediate medical attention, is the
Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

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I hope you will find this information useful and it helps you to recognize some common dog health problems your pet may be experiencing. However, if you suspect your pet is ill, immediately contact your veterinarian. He or she will be able to help you decide the best course of action when it comes to caring for your pet.